10 Rock Bands That Had A Really Shaky Start
5. The Red Hot Chili Peppers
Most of the Red Hot Chili Peppers' career has seen a bit of a revolving door when it comes to members. Though Flea and Anthony Kiedis remain the heads of the group to this day, the records are only as good as the people they have working beside them. At the start though, things weren't looking as good for these funk rockers.
Long before John Frusciante became a part of the group, most OG Chili Peppers fans have fond memories of Hillel Slovak being the main contributor before dying of a drug overdose after the album The Uplift Mofo Party Plan. However, even Hillel wasn't really in the trenches starting out, with the group's self-titled being a bit of a mess from start to finish. While you do have some of the trademark weirdness from songs like True Men Don't Kill Coyotes, a lot of the magic (or lack thereof) comes from the fact that guitarist Jack Sherman just isn't the best fit.
That's not to say that he doesn't have a few shining moments on the record, but the way he plays off of Flea and interacts with Kiedis left a lot to be desired. Once Slovak dissolved his previous band though, he fit in like a glove going into Freaky Styley, matching the energy of the others perfectly. It just goes to show you that when it comes to the Peppers, some energy needs to click before you even play a note of music together.